I always seem to have a handful of leftover cranberries and a jar of sourdough discard in the fridge, so these Cranberry Sourdough Muffins were bound to happen. They're soft and tangy with bursts of tart cranberry, a hint of orange, and that crunchy muffin top everyone loves.
The sourdough discard adds moisture and a subtle tang that keeps these muffins tender for days plus, you can mix everything by hand, no stand mixer required. I've also included all my tips for getting that classic bakery-style dome, so your muffins come out tall and golden.
Fresh cranberries are only here for a short time, so I try to use them in everything while I can. If you're the same way, don't miss my Sourdough Cranberry Rolled Scones, Sourdough Cranberry Jam and Cranberry Sourdough Bread.
Making the best Sourdough Cranberry Muffins
Getting this recipe right proved more challenging than expected! In my initial test, I followed my usual tricks for achieving an extra tall muffin top, only to witness my muffins rise in the oven and then sadly flatten out.
I realized my mistake was adding whole cranberries to my batter. The whole berries released too much juice into my batter causing them to lose their structure. Additionally, biting into the whole cranberries made the muffins too unappealingly sour.
To rectify my mistake, I borrowed a brilliant tip from Cookie and Kate who chopped the cranberries before adding them to her muffin batter. I took this a step further, by tossing the cranberry pieces in brown sugar and microwaving them. This not only sweetened the cranberries but also released any excess juices. The result: deliciously tart muffins with tall, bakery-style tops!
What you need
Cranberries: I used fresh cranberries to develop this recipe, but you can use frozen cranberries in a pinch, make sure you microwave them before using and don't add the excess juices to the batter.
Sourdough discard: You can use an active sourdough starter or simply add 28 grams of flour and 28 grams of water to your batter.
Buttermilk: Reacts with baking soda to help these muffins brown and rise higher. It also helps keep the crumb tender and delicate. A combination of 1 cup of milk and ¼ teaspoon apple cider vinegar makes a poor substitute but will work in a pinch.
All-purpose flour: Keeps these muffins plush and soft, do not substitute whole wheat flour or bread flour in this recipe.
Orange zest: Adds a brightness that complements the flavor of cranberries, optional but highly recommended.
Extracts: Almond extract pairs well with the tartness of cranberries, and orange extract enhances the flavor of orange zest. Both are optional but recommended.
See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information.
Start with Room Temperature Ingredients!
Since muffin batter is essentially an emulsion, it's best to start with room temperature ingredients. Warm ingredients are easier to mix, leading to a smoother batter and lighter, softer muffins.
Step-by-step Instructions
STEP 1 Prep the cranberries: Dice the cranberries (image 1). Toss the cranberries and brown sugar and microwave for 2 minutes, stirring the mixture every 30 seconds (image 2).
No microwave?
If you don't have a microwave, cook the cranberries in a small saucepan at medium heat until the cranberries look soft, and their juices have released, about 2 to 3 minutes.
STEP 2 Make the batter: Whisk the sugar and melted butter together (image 3). Add the eggs in one at a time (image 4). Fold in the remaining ingredients, adding the flour in a third at a time (image 5). Gently fold the cranberries in with the last addition of flour (image 6).
STEP 3 Bake the muffins: Divide the batter and top with sugar and cranberries (image 6). Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes (image 7).
No Peeking!!!
Do not under any circumstances open the oven door. Heat escapes every time the door is opened, if your muffins are not completely baked in the middle, this will cause your muffins to sink and become dense and gummy.
Baker's Tips
Test your leaveners for freshness: Combine a pinch of baking soda and baking powder with a drop of vinegar. If the mixture fizzes, then your leaveners will work.
Dissolve the discard in the batter: Make sure your sourdough discard is fully incorporated into the batter or you may end up with gummy lumps of dough in your muffins.
Stir the flour in gradually: Folding the flour in increments will prevent lumps and too much gluten development, resulting in plush, tender muffins.
Practice patience: Let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes before baking. Letting the batter rest allows the flour to fully hydrate and the gluten to relax leading to taller muffins with a plush, pillowy crumb.
Start hot and turn down your oven temperature: Preheat your oven to 425 F and then turn down the temperature to 375 F when you put your muffins in the oven. The initial high heat will encourage your muffins to rise high while baking at a lower temperature will gently bake your batter without burning the muffins.
Don't let the baked muffins cool in the muffin tin: The muffins will overbake if you allow them to cool in your hot muffin tin; transfer them immediately to a wire rack to prevent carry-over cooking.
Did this recipe rise to the occasion?
★★★★★
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Sourdough Discard Cranberry Muffin Recipe
Equipment
- muffin liners
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Ingredients
Batter
- 200 grams cranberries fresh or frozen
- 25 grams brown sugar
- 113 grams unsalted butter
- 150 grams cane sugar
- 2 eggs
- 56 grams sourdough discard
- ½ teaspoon almond extract optional
- ¼ grams orange extract optional
- 113 grams buttermilk
- zest from 1 orange
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 8 grams baking powder
- 6 grams salt
- 240 grams all-purpose flour
Topping
- 25 grams cane sugar
Click US Customary to view volume measurements
Instructions
- Prep the cranberries: Chop the cranberries and toss them in brown sugar. Microwave the cranberries for 2 minutes or until they are soft and their juices have released. Set aside.200 grams cranberries, 25 grams brown sugar
- Make the batter: Whisk the melted butter and cane sugar together until the sugar has dissolved.113 grams unsalted butter, 150 grams cane sugar
- Add the eggs in one at a time, waiting until each addition is fully incorporated before whisking in the next.2 eggs
- Stir in the remaining wet ingredients until the sourdough discard has fully dissolved into the batter.56 grams sourdough discard, ½ teaspoon almond extract, ¼ grams orange extract, 113 grams buttermilk
- Fold the dry ingredients and a third of the flour into the batter until only a few traces of dry flour remain.zest from 1 orange, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 8 grams baking powder, 6 grams salt, 240 grams all-purpose flour
- Continue folding in the flour a third at a time, adding ⅔ of the cranberries in with the last addition of flour, leave a few out to top your muffins. This prevents too much gluten development and lumps from forming in your batter.
- Let the batter rest: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the batter rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator before baking.
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 450 F. Line the muffin tin with liners.
- Portion out batter: Divide the batter evenly among the crevices of the lined muffin tin. The batter should fill the crevices to the top.
- Top the muffins with remaining cranberries and cane sugar.25 grams cane sugar
- Bake: Place the muffin tin on the middle rack of the oven, close the door and immediately turn down the temperature to 375 F. Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not open the door before the 20-minute mark or your muffins will sink!
- Move the baked muffins immediately to a wire rack to prevent carry-over cooking.
- Enjoy and store: Serve the muffins fresh from the oven and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Tips
These recipes were developed and tested using grams for precise measurements. To increase your chances of success, I recommend investing in a kitchen scale. I've included rough volume estimates (in tablespoons and cups), but they might not be totally accurate.
Remember all ovens are unique, these recipes were tested in my oven which runs cooler than others. You might need to lower the temperature if your bake appears to be browning too quickly. Monitor your bake closely and make adjustments if needed.
Notes
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist or dietitian, any nutrition information provided is an estimate.
Emma says
so good, turned out perfect. new family favorite.
Hannah Dela Cruz says
So happy your family loved them!
Kamelia Szarowicz says
You have to strain the cranberries before mixing them into the dough?
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Hi Kamelia! You don't need to strain the cranberries!
Candy says
Fantastic combination of sweet and tart. I didn’t cook or sweeten the cranberries; just chopped and drained, then added. So good! This recipe is a keeper, thank you for sharing! 😊
Hannah Dela Cruz says
I am so thrilled that you loved them!
Misti says
These are delightful!!! I couldn't find any frozen or fresh cranberries, so I rehydrated some dried ones in warm water for about 15 minutes. I also subbed out the buttermilk for sourcream and added a splash of juice from the orange instead of extract. Delicious! These will be a regular in my house!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Those substitutions sound so good! Thank you for trying my recipe.
Karen S. says
Wow! Delicious, with an amazingly light crumb and complex flavors. I preheated the oven at 450* for a hour before baking to ensure a good rise. This recipe is definitely a keeper! I made this dairy free using sweetened almond milk mixed with 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar to make the “buttermilk “. I also used a plant based butter with 79% fat. I substituted 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for the almond/orange extract. Finally, I added 60 g chopped walnuts and 60 g mini dark chocolate chips (dairy free). The recipe made 8 large muffins.
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Wow I love those substitutions and additions. I'm glad you were able to use plant-based alternatives to make this recipe work!